How to improve recall around other dogs?

Teaching your pooch their name makes it easy for you to grab their attention when you need it. After you’re confident you can get their attention, you can add in your chosen recall. Always reward your dog when they come back. Start indoors, in your garden, or in another enclosed space with some tasty treats to hand. Get your dog’s attention with their name, then use your recall cue and take a step away from them. Reward them with praise and a tasty treat when they come to you. Gradually increase the distance between you and your dog and the level of distractions you call them away from. You can eventually leave the garden and venture out into the world. Let them move away from you before using your recall cue, and use a long line attached to. If you find your dogs recall isn't quite where it should be, it might be worth enrolling in some dog training lessons. If your pooch keeps darting off when you call them, stick with training on a long lead attached to a harness, and only let them off-lead in secure areas.

When you’ve chosen a recall word, build an association with it. With your dog in the same room as you, say their name and the chosen word and as they come towards you give them verbal praise and a treat, so the word receives a positive and enthusiastic response. Repeat the word while moving a few feet away from your dog, and each time they respond and come to you, offer a tasty reward. Once you’ve cracked doing this in the house, move the training into your garden where there are more external distractions, and then it’s time to up the ante and try using the chosen word outdoors on a walk. Use a longline until your dog has a reliable recall, as attaching a longline to your dog’s body harness means you’re still in control but they have enough freedom to enjoy a run while learning to come back to you. Some dogs find toys more exciting than treats while out on walks, so you can use one of their favourites to reinforce recall. Don’t repeat the recall word if your dog doesn’t listen to you, as this could affect the positive association of the cue. ALWAYS reward recall, even by just smiling at your dog and telling them how good they are and that you love them – teaching your dog to come when they’re called is one of the lessons that could save their life. A reliable recall is important, especially around distractions, including children and other dogs.

When walking on the leash you should be able to simply use the "No!" command to keep your dog in check. When he is not on a leash, you may need to rely on a strong recall or ‘down’ command to get the job done. The best place to start training your dog to behave around other dogs is a nice quiet area with a dog yours is friendly with, but tends to lunge after. You need to schedule training sessions of ten to fifteen minutes three times a day until your dog finally learns what is expected of him. Of course, you should also practice every time you take your dog out for a walk as well. Remember, the earlier you start teaching your pup to behave, the easier it will be to train him. Heap tons of praise on your dog and always be ready with plenty of his favorite tasty treats to reward him.